This invention relates to an automatic telephone answering and recording device.
Conventionally, there has been provided an automatic telephone recording device which enables an automatic telephone answering device to be on standby whereby, upon receipt of the calling signal from a calling party, the device automatically picks up the calling signal to form a closed engaging circuit, sends out previously recorded outgoing messages to the calling party and records the voice of the calling party, and whereby, after the subscriber returns home, the device is operated to manually reproduce a tape so as to hear the incoming messages from a calling party and then is set to be on standby again. In such a conventional device, it is necessary to push an "absent" button at first, as a result of which an outgoing message tape generally returns once and also a voice is reproduced from the speaker. Accordingly, the setting of a new standby state is effected by confirming the outgoing messages and setting the tape to its initial position upon the completion of the outgoing messages. Therefore, in case of a power failure or power on, it is impossible to cause the telephone answering device to be placed on standby during the ringing once or twice as a result of a calling signal from a calling party, to enable it to be operated by the incoming calling signal and to instantly send out outgoing messages.
In other words, since such a device is so organized as to, at first, send out outgoing messages upon pushing an "absent" button and to set the tape to its initial position upon the completion of the outgoing messages thereby to cause the automatic telephone answering device to be on standby, almost several tens of seconds elapse during which the bell of the telephone continues to ring. As a result, any called party tends to take his handset off hook to prevent undesired ringing and to prevent feeling obliged to answer. This makes the automatic telephone answering device useless, even though it is well-equipped.